Kevin's Corner

Denver Ranked 5th On The ACSM's 'American Fitness Index'

by Kevin Mussman,posted May 29 2013 1:21PM

Colorado is known for being fit with all the outdoor activities we can do throughout Denver and the mountains! Denver was ranked fifth on the American College of Sport Medicine’s, American Fitness Index™. This index measures the health and community fitness status of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.

Flickr, Creative Commons

Similar to an annual physical or wellness exam, the sixth annual report evaluates the preventive health behaviors, levels of chronic disease conditions, health care access and community resources and policies that encourage healthy and fit lifestyles. Included in the report’s latest edition are benchmarks for each data indicator to highlight areas that need improvement.

The metropolitan statistical area (MSA) of Denver-Aurora-Broomfield scored 68.1 (out of 100 possible points) in the 2013 report, up four spots from last year. In 2012, the metro area ranked ninth with a score of 65.6. Minneapolis-St. Paul achieved a high score of 76.4 to capture the top ranking for the third consecutive year.